Hearing today on Beacon Hill plan

Beacon Hill Event facility owners Pete Rayner and David Baker hope to get one step closer to realizing a 304-unit home development on the slopes north of the event facility, when the city of Spokane hearing examiner looks at their development plans this morning.

According to the interactive tour of the Beacon Hill project, the development of single- and multi-family residences is located east of North Freya and south of Wellesley Avenue, on the north side of the event facility.

The development – which is roughly twice the size of Kendall Yards – will have easy access to the North Spokane Corridor …

Beacon Hill Event facility owners Pete Rayner and David Baker hope to get one step closer to realizing a 304-unit home development on the slopes north of the event facility, when the city of Spokane hearing examiner looks at their development plans this morning.

According to the interactive tour of the Beacon Hill project, the development of single- and multi-family residences is located east of North Freya and south of Wellesley Avenue, on the north side of the event facility.

The development – which is roughly twice the size of Kendall Yards – will have easy access to the North Spokane Corridor once that’s completed.

“This project is fully compliant with the comprehensive plan and the underlying zoning,” Rayner said in a press statement. “Hillyard neighborhood groups and fire and police are behind this. Hopefully we can get moving toward a new, prosperous Hillyard.”

The Beacon Hill development is located northeast of central Hillyard, just off the Northeast Spokane Industrial Park. According to Rayner, the area is zoned for approximately 3,000 residential units.

The Beacon Hill recreational area spans more than 1,000 acres that are a patchwork of privately held and public land – some developed and some undeveloped.

It’s been a recreation destination for many decades and recently the Fat Tire Trail Riders bicycle club has been deeply involved in working out usage agreements with all landowners, in order to maintain access to a network of trails there.

Rayner said Beacon Hill is a rare example of a project with unified support among civic and private groups.

“If you support East Hillyard’s development, then we need you at Thursday morning’s meeting,” said Luke Tolley, president of the Greater Hillyard Neighborhood Association.